A search was conducted in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office on the subject matter of this application. The search resulted in the citation of the following U.S. and Japanese patents: U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,043,381; 4,113,830; 4,179,301; 4,216,021; 4,264,548; 4,285,895; 4,323,323; 4,323,325; 4,332,909; 4,350,771; 4,356,136; Japanese Pat. No. 067080 of 1982; and Japanese Pat. No. 071872 of 1982.
After a very exhaustive review of the cited patents, we were of the opinion that they contained no material which was at all relevant to the subject matter which is to be disclosed and claimed in this application. Therefore, no extensive discussion will be undertaken herein with respect to the cited patents because, in effect, they are not relevant to the subject matter set forth herein.
Basically, the method disclosed in this application is one in which a silicon metal containing article can be made by a mixing of two different slurries to form a castable silicon metal particle containing slurry. The castable silicon metal particle slurry is poured into a mold and allowed to set up by a flocculation action. The mold does not have to have any portion thereof formed of a vehicle drawing medium (such as plaster of Paris) because the set-up mechanism does not require the removal of the vehicle from the castable slurry by a vehicle drawing action. Since the castable slurry sets up by flocculation, the vehicle of the castable slurry is removed by evaporative action after solidification is completed.